Dana Kuehn

Judge Dana Kuehn was appointed to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on October 2, 2017 by Governor Mary Fallin to fill the unexpired term of Judge Clancy Smith. She is currently serving as Vice Presiding Judge. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, she attended Oklahoma State University, receiving a Bachelors Degree in Political Science in 1993. Judge Kuehn was a top-ten graduate of the OSU College of Arts and Sciences and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority of which she served as President. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1996. After graduating law school, Judge Kuehn was a felony prosecutor for almost ten years with the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office. As lead counsel, she tried more than 75 cases. She headed the Crimes Against Children Unit and also served as Chief of the Juvenile Division. She was an Associate with the firm of Steidley & Neal from 1999-2000.

In 2006, Judge Kuehn was elected Associate District Judge of Tulsa County. She presided over a felony docket and conducted more than 75 jury trials. In that capacity, she also worked closely with Women In Recovery for alternative sentencing options for women. Judge Kuehn then presided over a civil docket from 2008 to 2017 conducting more than 100 jury trials. Judge Kuehn served as Chief of the Civil Division at Tulsa County from 2010 through 2012. She teaches a Juvenile Law and Evidence Workshop at the University of Tulsa College of Law. She is past president of the Alumnae Board and was selected Outstanding Junior Alumnae. In May 2017, she was inducted into the Tulsa College of Law Hall of Fame and received the Thomas Coffman Community Service Award.

Judge Kuehn is an active member of the Tulsa County Bar Association and Oklahoma Bar Association. She is a recipient of the 2016 Mona Salyer Lambird Spotlight Award. In 2017, the American Board of Trial Advocates recognized her as Judge of the Year for the State of Oklahoma.

Judge Kuehn is a proud mother of four boys and wife of Patrick Kuehn. She is a Youth Deacon at her family’s church, Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian. Her favorite past-times are volunteering for her children’s school and sports teams, cheering on the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and reading history.

Judge Dana Kuehn, Allen Smith, Lou Kohlman and Elizabeth Bridgers
Photo: Erin McGregor, Legislative Service Bureau Photography